Category Archives: News

I’m sure that some of you have been wondering where articles have been over the last couple of months. The long and short of it comes down to some site issues earlier in the year, and a bit of a flubbed hand-off on my end. My bad everyone. But, in order to help make it up we’ll be posting the two articles we’ve been working on in tandem with this hand-off. Look forward to Part Six of Jennifer Cerna’s Post-JET Diaries, as well as a piece by me covering a Topsy-Turvy trip to Hokkaido.

We’re back everyone!

Excited for the return of The Mikan? Have something JET-specific or Japan-adjacent you’d like to write a post on? Contact Lucas Buechler at lucas.t.buechler@gmail.com and see if its a good fit for The Mikan!

The Ehime AJET executive committee all dressed up at the Shimanami Cycling Expo to raise awareness about the Ehime AJET Scholarship! This was our very first scholarship fundraising event! Executive members in this photo (from left to right): Mbali Sexwale, Eriko Stronach, Hannah Rennie, and Joy Peng. (missing: Jessica Reid)

We held our first Ehime AJET booth at International Shimanami Kaido Cycling EXPO in Imabari on October 25th through 26th! Since it was late October, we decided to decorate the booth in a Halloween theme. We prepared international quiz games, face paint, sold packaged candy and homemade sweets which we spent all night buying, packaging and making them (brownies and rice krispies)!

There were a stage with performances by jazz bands, Jpop bands, junior high school bands, Japanese entertainer talk show hosts, DJ and other performers.

Imabari bumping! Have you ever seen that many people in Imabari?!

Fellow Imabari JET came to encourage local kids to check out what Halloween is all about!

Thank you to those who came to support and help us! Otsukare to those who participated in the actual cycling!

Thanks for helping, Imabari JETs!

Special thanks to Mr. Murakami and Mbali Sexwale for giving us the opportunity to participate in this festive event! For more information on the Shimanami Kaido Cyling EXPO in Imabari check out their website http://cycling-shimanami.jp/index.php.

This year, Ehime AJET formed the Ehime AJET Scholarship Committee to create a scholarship for 200,000 yen to provide one high school student in the prefecture an opportunity to study abroad this summer. The committee will evaluate applications based on academic merit, interest in cross-cultural exchange, and financial need.

The application process has two components: a written application and an interview. The written application requires the applicant’s background information, preferred study abroad program, school activity involvement, and a letter of recommendation. The interview provides an opportunity for the applicant to demonstrate his or her English speaking ability, to express motivations for studying abroad, and to share his or her hopes for the future. Any high school student in Ehime is eligible to apply.

The submission deadline for the 2015 Ehime AJET Scholarship is Friday, February 20th. The recipient will be chosen by the Ehime AJET Scholarship Committee.

Being an assistant language teacher of English in Japan affords an opportunity to positively influence students’ academic experience, development, and achievement. The Ehime AJET Scholarship Committee encourages students to speak and learn English in a foreign country; to interact with students of different ethnicities, races, and cultures; and to understand the concept of being a global citizen.

A massive thank you to everyone who came last night! I had the best time sharing my culture with you all and watching you dance! I hope you enjoyed yourselves too. Thanks to you all, we managed to raise a whopping 85,000円 last night! We couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you!
We have now reached our initial goal of 150,000円, but we plan to continue fundraising to help cover as many costs as possible for the lucky Ehime high school student.

This year we teamed up with one of Matsuyama’s most popular foreigner bars, 14-1, for a seriously spooky Halloween Party.

But before the Halloween party, AJET planned a special fundraising dinner so that we could eat and be merry. AJET raised 6000 yen for the Ehime AJET scholarship fund, which will go towards our special ongoing fundraiser to help send a Japanese school student to a school of their choice in any English-speaking country that they want!

Here is us looking like our usual crazy selves in the restaurant!

We then moved on to 14-1, which was full of dancing people, Japanese and foreigners alike, in some pretty epic Halloween costumes.
Here are some of the best ones!

Kaonashi (No-Face) chilling with a beer, as you do.

Looks like someone got a fright (or a kancho)!

Sean (left), the guy who helped us collaborate with 14-1, as a dead DJ.

We had a wonderful turnout yesterday. On behalf of Ehime AJET, I would like to thank everyone who came out to the hike yesterday! Most importantly, I would like to thank Sontian for leading the group and reassuring everyone’s safety until the very end. I hope everyone enjoyed the hike just as much as I did and can finally say that they’ve completed something on their Japan bucket list!
For those of you who were unable to attend the event, do not fear! We will challenge Mount Ishizuchi again next year

How are our mikans holding up in this hot, sticky summer?!This is well overdue, but we would like to say a big thank you to everyone for taking the time to come to the farewell party and for making it such a wonderful event. We hope everyone enjoyed the beach, BBQ, talking, awards, Jessica’s heart-meltingly delicious cookies, the rain and dancing!

Speaking of dancing, thanks to the lovely Natalya, we were able to learn and perform a small part of the AKB48 Koisuru Fortune Cookie dance. We are happy to announce that we are officially a part of National AJET’s ‘Welcome to AJET’ video – yes, we made the cut!

Thanks to every one who danced with us to show the incoming JETs how active, positive, and supportive the JET community is (ESPECIALLY IN EHIME)!! So without further ado, here it is!!

*Special thanks to Megan for shooting/editing our video!*

It was great to be able to say a big good luck and farewell to all of the departing JETs. Ehime AJET wishes you all the best with your future endeavours and hopes that you come back to visit soon!